Paine’s progress on track for Ashes
TEST captain Tim Paine has his eyes on a second XI game for Tasmania as a milestone in his Ashes preparation after finally batting again in his recovery from a neck operation.
Paine had surgery in September to repair a pinched nerve in his neck and has only just begun light training duties six weeks before the opening Test against England at the Gabba on December 8.
The skipper started with light jogging and has progressed to facing balls from a bowling machine.
But Paine is yet to get the allclear to resume wicketkeeping, which he hopes will come next week.
That could lead to a return to playing for Tassie in midNovember and Paine is hoping to play at least one Sheffield Shield match to prove his Ashes readiness.
“I had a little bit of a hit on the bowling machine which was promising (on Thursday),” Paine said on Friday.
“Tuesday next week is pretty much the six-week mark (since surgery), where I can start to look up, which is obviously a key part of wicketkeeping.
“If I squat down, I need to be able to tilt my head up so I can see the ball coming.
“Hopefully, I’ll get the allclear on Tuesday and I can start wicketkeeping practice, albeit at a pretty low intensity for a week or two.
“But I’m looking to hopefully play in a second XI game for Tasmania in mid-November and a Sheffield Shield game around the 20th or the 21st. That will give me a decent lead-in of two or three weeks of proper cricket before the first Test.”
Cricket Australia has scheduled two more Shield games for Tasmania, including against South Australia starting on November 10, but nothing is locked in after that.
Paine, 36, has not missed a Test since his recall to the side in 2017 after a seven-year absence, playing in 31-straight matches.